Automatic switch.



i. P. BUBB.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH. y

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5l 1910. 1,004,981, Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

HBETS-BHEET 1.

` l @woe/M301, ElmerF Bubb.

E.l P. BUBB.

y AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5, 1910. l 1,004,981. Patented Oct. 3, 19.11.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Elmer'F.1 Bubb.

E. I. BUBB.

v AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY 5, 1910. 1,004,981. Patented Oct. 3, 1911.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELMER FRANKLIN BUBB, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELMER F. BUBB, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and usel ful Improvements in Automatic Switches;

and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in automaticallyand electrically operated switch apparatus, affording means whereby aswitch may be thrown by the locomotive or car passing over the rails andcomprises various details of construction and combinations andarrangements of parts which will be hereinafter fully described and thenspecifically defined in the appended claims.

I illustrate my invention in the accompanying drawings, in which Figurel is a perspective view showing my apparatus as applied to the switchrails of a railway. Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view through theapparatus, parts being shown in elevation as on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3.Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the means for causingthe switch to be opened and closed. Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailperspective view showing the circuit closing apparatus. Fig. 5 is adetail elevation of the means for rocking the shaft adapted to actuatethe switch points. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of one of the gearwheels shown in Fig. 5 and illustrating the cam projections thereon.Fig. 7 is a detail perspective view of the switch head releasingmechanism, and Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation of the gear mechanism andmotor carrying member. i Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of acircuit breaker attached to the switch points of the switch.

Reference now being had to the details of the drawings by letter, A, Adesignate the main rails of a railway and A a switch point rail.Journaled in suitable bearings in the ties is a rock shaft B having acrank arm B fixed to one end and which crank arm is pivotally connectedto a link B2 pivoted at B3 to the bar B4, which latter is pivot-Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led May 5, 1910.

Patented Oct. 3, 1911. Serial No. 559,493.

mounted upon a pivot B9, a suitable casing C being mounted over thelever B8.

Upon reference to Fig. 7 of the drawings it will be seen that a lug Z9passes through an aperture in the lever BS and the tongue of a padlock epasses through an aperture in said lug b and serves to hold the latterfrom moving through the aperture in which it is mounted, while a head b2prevents the lug from moving in the opposite direction through theapertures of the lever. A second rock shaft, designated by letter D,shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings as being mounted in suitable bearingsparallel to the shaft B, has an angled end D, an enlarged view of whichis shown in Fig. 7, and said end D is pivotally connected by means of apin D2 with a rod D3 having a head D4 at one end which is adapted tonormally hold the lever in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 7 of thedrawings, in which it prevents the lever B8 from tilting upon thepivotal pin B, by reason of the head D* being positioned in the path ofthe lug Z9. A coiled spring D5 is fastened to a Xed eye D6 at one endand its other end fastened to the pivotal pin D2 and serving to normallyhold the rock shaft D and rod D3 in the position shown in solid lines inFig. 7 of the drawings.

Referring to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings will be seen an oval-shapedplate E which is iXed to a rock shaft E journaled in suitable bearingsupon the ties of the railway and pivotally connected to the pins E2 uponsaid plate E, one upon either side of the shaft E', are the posts E3guided in their longitudinal movements by the plates E4 which arefastened in any suitable manner upon the ties. The upper end of each ofsaid posts E3 is connected pivotally to the inner ends of the twodepressible plates F which are hinged together at their meeting ends andnormally positioned with their free ends resting upon the upper faces ofthe ties, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The upper hinged ends ofsaid plates F project a suitable distance above the ties at one side orthe other and said plates are adapted to be depressed by any suitablemecha* nism carried by the car or locomotive and provided for thepurpose of causing a switch point rail to be thrown in one direction orthe other.

Mounted in a suitable bearing member G, shown clearly in Fig. 3 of thedrawings, is a rock shaft G having one end forked, terminating in theangled ends G2 and G3. Mounted upon the posts G2 are the pivotal housingmembers G5, each of which has a bottom portion GG extending toward eachother, the end of one projection resting immediately above the angledend G2 of the forked part of the rock shaft G and the other over theangled end G5. A ball H is mounted in each of said housings and, whenthe parts are in their normal positions, the bottoms of the two housingswill be held horizontally in alinement with each other. PostsHaremounted one at each outer end of the housing G5 and are provided'forthe purpose of limiting the outer tilting movements of said housings.Y

'Fixed to the shaftA G is a segment gear I, a detail view of which isshown in Fig. 8

' of the drawings, and said segment gear is in mesh with the teeth ofthe pinion I mount- .ed upon a stub shaft I2, and I5 designates aplatform supporting the motor I4. The under surfaceof said platformisprovided with gear teeth I5 with which the teeth of the pinion I are inmesh and affording means whereby, as the shaftisrccked into one positionor another, the platform will be rotated upon its central axial pivot ina corresponding direction. A motor shaft I5 projects from the motor andis journaled in an aperture in the upturned end I7 of the integral armI5 which projects from said platform. The' shaft I5 has a worm gear I atits free end and adapted, as it is swung inone direction, to engage theworm gear upon the horizontally disposed rotatable wheel J, while it isadapted to mesh with the worm gearing of a wheel J also horizontallyjournaled in the event of its being swung in the opposite direction.Each of said wheels J and J is pivotally mounted upon a pin J2 which arefastened to the vertical pulleys J 2. Each of said wheels J and J is ofsimilar construction and a bottom'plan view of one of said wheels J isshown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and both wheels in elevation in Fig. 5.Upon reference to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be noted that an integral cam J5 and L project from the under surface of each wheel, the cam edge ofone of which is adapted to contact with an anti-friction roller Kmounted upon a pin J 5 carried by the plate J 5. fixed to the rock shaftB, while the cam upon the other wheel J is adapted to contact with asimilar anti-friction roller K2 journaled upon a pin K2 projecting fromthe end of the plate 'J5 ropposite that fromwhich the pin J5 projects.It will be noted that the under face of each wheel J and J is providedwith a cam vprojection L which is concentrically mounted with relationto the cam J 1 and one of said cams L is adapted to actuate an angledend M integral with a rock shaft D, while the other cam member L isadapted to actuate a similar angled end M which is parallel to the endM.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 4C of the drawings will be seen the electricalapparatus for causing the switch to be thrown in one direction or theother by the starting of the motor. There are two electrical circuitclosers, one under each end of the tilting member E and extendingoutwardly therefrom, said devices being similar in construction andwired so that the initial circuit closing member of one operates thesecondary circuit closing member of the other, each of which is arrangedas follows: A bar O is pivotally mounted upon a pin O carried by theforked end of the post O2, shown plainly in Fig. 4 of the drawings, saidpost rising from the block O5. One end of the bar O is positionedunderneath one end of the tilting plateE, said end carryingva contactpoint O4 arranged to contact with a yielding contact point O5 mountedupon a standard OG on said base O, said yieldable contact pointtelescoping the upper end of the standard O5. Mounted on the other endof the bar O is a contact point P arranged to contact with a terminal P2mounted upon a standard P3 risingfrom the base O3 adjacent to its outletend and fixed to the standard P3 is a bar Q bent U-shaped at one end andhas an extended arm Q. An electro-magnet Q2 is fastened to the short armof the bar Q and directly opposite upon the long or extended arm ofthevbar a similar electro-magnet Q3 is fastened. Hinged to the block O3is a strip S, the upper end of which is hinged to a strip'S which inturn has an eye S2 in its upper end connected to an eye S3 formed at thelower end of the pin S5 which passes through an aperture in the bar Oand has a coiled springS6 interposed between the head of the pin S5 andthe upper surface of the bar O. The long arm Q of the bar Q has alaterally projecting lug ST which is normally positioned adjacent to thehinge connecting the strips S and S and is adapted, as the twoelectromagnets are drawn together as they are energized, to move againstthe hinge by reason of the arm Q yielding and causing the joint betweenthe strips S and S to break and assume the position shown in 'dottedlines in Fig. t which action will causefthe terminal P to move intocontact with the terminal P2 and close the circuit.

The wiring for the contact points referred to in the foregoingdescription is as follows :--Assuming the wires 0 and()10 as the sourceof supply and wire O2 as the positive wire, the current will passthrough the wires O8 to the terminals O and, when the tilting plate E isrocked, either of the terminals O4 which is depressed contacts with aterminal O5 which is electrically connected by a wire O7 to theelectro-magnets Q2 and Q3 of the circuit closing device on the oppositeside of the tilting plate E, thence back through the -wire Q5 back tothe supply wire O10 which completes as may be called the initialcircuit. When the electromagnets Q2 and Q8 are energized and broughttogether, the lug ST breaks the joint between the strips S and S', thecurrent passes through the switch operating motor, wire P5 to one of theterminals P2, through the terminal P, wire P and back to the wire O10,thus completing the circuit.

Attached to the switch point rail A is a bar T which carries aninsulator T to which is secured a bar T2 pivotally connected to an armof a bell crank lever U which is fulcrumed in a bearing V. The oppositearm of the lever U serves as a knife blade switch and contacts with theblades V of the terminal V2 of the switch, and the relation between theknife blade switch and terminal V2 is such that, when the switch pointrail is spaced from the main rail, the parts contact but, when theswitch point rail bears against the main rail, the contact is broken.The wires P4 communicating from the terminals P2 and wire P5 are broken,one of the terminals contacting with the bell-crank lever U and theother with the terminal V2 and, as there is a circuit breaker attachedto each switch point, only one being shown in the drawing as they areduplicates, the terminals of each of the wires P4 are connected to oneor the other of the circuit breakers.

In operation, assuming that it is desired to throw the switch points tothe right, the two depressible plates F upon one side being depressed byany apparatus carried by the car or locomotive will cause the post E2 tobe depressed and with it the plate E will be tilted upon its pivotalstub shaft E. The end of the plate E tilting downward will cause the pinE2 to contact with the projecting end Gf of the adjacent housing G5,caus ing the latter to tilt upon its post G4, which will allow the ballH to roll to the opposite end of the housing and insure the shaft Gbeing rocked sufficiently to actuate the apparatus for setting the motorinto operation. As the shaft G is caused to rock by reason of theextension GI and the housing coming in contact with the angled end ofthe arm G2, the segment gear I will cause a partial rotary movement tobe imparted to the pinion I which in turn will transmit the motion tothe pivotal platform I3, causing the same to make a partial revolutionsuflicient to swing the motor shaft IG with its worm at one end intomesh with the worm wheel J. As one end of the plate E tilts against oneend of the bar O, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, the contactpoint O4 will be thrown into electrical connection with the yieldingterminal O5, closing` the circuit and causing the electro-magnets Q2 andQ2 to be energized. Said magnets being energized and drawn toward eachother, the yielding arm Q will be moved laterally and the lug ST uponsaid arm coming in contact with the hinge connecting the springs S and Swill cause the same to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.4l' of the drawings and which will draw down the bar O so that theterminal P will come in contact with the terminal P2 and close the.circuit, thus energizing the motor and causing the same to rotate thegear wheel which is in mesh with the worm wheel upon the motor wheel I?.As the cam projection L comes in contact with the end M of the shaft D,the latter will be rocked and a longitudinal movement will be impartedto the rod D2', shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, which will cause thehead D4 to be drawn to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 7 andout of the path of the lug Z) which will allow the lever BS to swingfreely. Immediately after the shaft D has been tilted in the mannerdescribed, the cam projection J 4 upon the wheel J2 will come in contactwith the anti-friction roller J 5 upon the adjacent end of the plate J Gand cause the same to tilt and rock the shaft B which, through itsconnections with the switch lever BS, will cause the same to swing uponits pivot and the switch points A and AX moved toward the switch lever.

It will be noted upon reference to Fig. 2 of the drawings that a similarelectric circuit closing apparatus is provided for operation when oneend or the other of the plate E is tilted downward and adapted to startthe motor to throw the switch as may be desired. In the event of itbeing desired to operate the switch without the electric-circuit closingapparatus, the lug may be removed from the lever, thus allowing the sameto swing freely by the manipulation of the same by hand.

That I claim to be new is l. An automatically operated switch ap paratusfor railways comprising, in combination with the main tracks and switchpoints, a rock shaft mounted in suitable bearings and having a forkedend, an oscillating plate, pins projecting therefrom, a verticallymovable post pivotally connected to each of said pins, depressibleplates connected to each of said posts and adapted to be actuated as acar passes over the tracks, gear mechanism, connections between the sameand switch points, a motor, means for throwing the same into gear withthe mechanism for operating the switch points, and

electrical means for starting the motor as said plate is tilted.

2. An automatically operated switch apparatus for railways comprising,in combi- 5 nation with the main tracks andV switch points, a rock shaftmounted in suitable bearings and having a forked end, an oscillatingplate, pins projecting therefrom, a

. vertically movable post pivotally connected to each of said pins,depressible plates connected to each of said posts and adapted vto beactuated as a car passes over the tracks, a` tilting housing, a weightedball movable therein, a proj ectionupon said housing positionedunderneath the pin upon said oscillating plate and positioned over oneend of the forked part of the rock shaft, a motor, a rotatable platformupon which the motor is mounted, gear connections between teeth uponsaid platform and said rock shaft, horizontally disposed rotatable gearwheels, a motor shaft with worm thereon adapted to be thrownk into meshwith one of said horizontally disposed gear wheels, `means for startingthe motor as the worm is thrown into mesh with one of said gear wheels,and mechanism actuated by said gear wheels for causing the switch pointsto be moved in one direction or the other.

3. An automatically operated switch apparatus for railways comprising,in combination with the main tracks and switch points, a rock shaftmounted in suitable bearings and having a forked end, an oscillatingplate, pins projecting therefrom, a

vertically movable post pivotally connected to 'each of said pins,depressible plates connected to each of said posts and adapted to bcactuated as a car passes over the tracks, a

40 tilting housing, a weighted ball movable therein, a projection uponsaid housing positioned underneath the pin upon said oscillating plateand positioned over one end of the forked part of the rock shaft, amotor, a

rotatable platform upon which the motor is mounted, gear connectionsbetween teeth upon said platform and said rock shaft,horizontally-disposed rotatable gear wheels, cams upon the under surfacethereof, a

motor shaft and worm thereon movable against one of the gear wheelshaving said cam projections, a second rock shaft having a forked end,the arms of which are adapted to be actuated by one of said cams,connections between said second referred to rock shaft and switchpoints, and electrical mechanism adapted to be actuated as the firstreferred to rock shaft tilts.

' 4f. An automatically operated switch apparatus for railwayscomprising, in combination with the main tracks and switch points, arock shaft mounted in suitable bearings and having a forked end, anoseillating plate, pins projecting therefrom, a

verticallymovable post pivotally connected to each of said pins,depressible plates connected to each of said posts and adapted to beactuated as a car passes over the tracks, a tilting housing, a weightedball movable therein, a projection upon said housing positionedunderneath the pin upon said oscillating plate and positioned over oneend of the forked part of the rock shaft, a motor, a rotatable platformupon which the motor is mounted, gear connections between teeth uponsaid platform and said rock shaft, horizontally-disposed rotatable gearwheels, cams upon the under surface thereof, a motor shaft and wormthereon movable against one of the gear wheels having said camprojections, a second rock shaft having a forked end, the arms of whichare adapted to be actuated by said cams, a bar pivotally connected. tosaid shank portion of said second referred to rock shaft, a head uponsaid bar, a lever having pivotal link connections with the switch point,and a projection upon saidd lever positioned in the path of Said hea Anautomatically operated switch apparat-us for railways comprising, incombination with the main tracks and switch points, a rock shaft mountedin suitable hearings and having a forked end, an oscillating plate, pinsprojecting therefrom, a vertically movable post pivotally connected toeach of said pins, depressible plates con- `iected to each of said postsand adapted to be actuated as a car passes over the tracks, a tiltinghousing, a weighted ball lnovable therein, a projection upon saidhousing positioned underneath the pin upon said oscillating plate andpositioned over one end of the forked part of the rock shaft, a motor, arotatable platform upon which the motor is mounted, gear connectionsbetween teeth. upon said platform and said rock shaft,horizontally-disposed rotatable gear wheels, cams upon the under surfacethereof, a motor shaft and worm thereon movable against one of the gearwheels having said cam projections, a second rock shaft having a forkedend, the arms of which are adapted to be actuated by said cams, a barpivotally connected to the shank portion of said second refererd to rockshaft, a head upon said bar, a spring fastened to the pivotal connectionof said bar, a lever having pivotal link connections with the switchpoints, and a lug upon said bar adapted to contact with said head toprevent the lever oscillating.

6. An automatically operated switch apparatus for railways comprising,in combination with the main tracks and switch points, a rock shaftmounted in suitable bearings and having a forked end, an oscillatingplate, pins projecting therefrom, a vertically movable post pivotallyconnected to each of said pins, depressible plates connected to each ofsaid posts and adapted to be actuated as a car passes over the tracks,oscillating housings, a weighted ball in one of the latter, a projectionupon each housing positioned underneath one of said pivotal pins, apivotal circuit closing bar, terminals thereon, one end of said barmounted underneath the end of said tilting plate, hinged stripsconnected to said bar, a U-shaped member having a yielding arm,electro-mag nets mounted upon each arm of said member, one end of saidarm adapted, as the electrounagnets are drawn toward each other, tobreak the joint between said strips and allow one of the terminals ofthe contact point to lower to close a circuit, a motor and electricalconnections between the same and said terminal contacts, switchreleasing and operating means, and gear connections between the same andsaid motor.

7 An automatically operated switch apparatus for railways comprising, incombi- `nation with the main tracks and switch points, a rock shaftmounted in suitable bearings and having a forked end, an oscil latingplate, pins projecting therefrom, a vertically movable post pivotallyconnected to each of said pins, depressible plates connected to each ofsaid posts and adapted to be actuated as a car passes over the tracks,oscillating housings, a weighted ball in one of the latter, a projectionupon each housing positioned underneath one of said pivotal pins, apivotal. circuit closing bar, terminals thereon, one yend of said barmounted underneath the end of said tilting plate, hinged stripsconnected to said'bar, a U- shaped member having a yielding arm,electroem agnets mounted upon each arm of said member, one end of saidarm adapted, as the elctro-magnets are drawn toward each other, to breakthe oint between said strips and allow one of the terminals of thecontact point to lower to close a circuit, a motor and electricalconnections between the same and said terminal contacts, a movableplatform upon which Vthe motor is mounted, a worm upon the shaft of themotor, hori- Zontally disposed gear wheels, a plurality of camsprojecting from the under surface of one of said gear wheels, meansactuated Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

